1. Online winnings are fully taxable so you must report gambling winnings, even those that didn’t have tax withheld. You might be able to deduct gambling losses. So, keep a record so you are able to report gambling winnings and deduct gambling losses with accuracy.
2. You must report all gambling winnings (including lotteries, raffles) on line 21, Schedule 1, Form 1040 as ‘Other Income’) including winnings that aren’t reported on a Form W-2G.pdf. When you have gambling winnings, you may be required to pay an estimated tax on that additional income.

Claiming Online Gambling Winnings On Taxes Owed

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All gambling winnings are taxable income—that is, income that is subject to both federal and state income taxes (except for the seven states that have no income taxes). It makes no difference how you earn your winnings, whether at a casino, gambling website, Church raffle, or your friendly neighborhood poker game. Now, there are two rules that go along with claiming casino losses on your tax form. The first, and most important, is that you cannot claim losses in excess of your claimed winnings. So, if you list $1,000 in gambling winnings on your Schedule 1, the maximum that you could claim as losses on your Schedule A would be $1,000.

If you had a successful night at the slots or poker tables, you're going to have to share some of the lucky proceeds with Uncle Sam. The Internal Revenue Service generally requires that you report your gambling winnings and losses separately when you file your taxes rather than combining the two amounts.

Record Keeping

As you gamble during the year, you need to keep records of your winnings and losses so that you can support whatever figures you report on your taxes. The IRS permits you to use per-session recording, which means that instead of recording whether you won or lost each time you pull the slot machine, you can simply record your total for the session. Your records should include the date and type of gambling, where you gambled and if you gambled with anyone else, such as a home poker game. If you win more than $600, you should receive a Form W-2G from the casino.

Taxable Winnings

Claiming Online Gambling Winnings On Taxes Jointly

When figuring your gambling winnings, only include the winnings from each session rather than using losses to offset your gains. You have to include gambling winnings even if you didn't receive a Form W-2G from the casino. For example, if you gambled six times during the year, winning $100, $3,000, $4,000 and $6,000 but losing $5,000 and $2,000, your gambling winnings for the year are $13,100. This amount gets reported on line 21 of your Form 1040 tax return.

Gambling Losses

To claim your gambling losses, you have to itemize your deductions. Gambling losses are a miscellaneous deduction, but -- unlike some other miscellaneous deductions -- you can deduct the entire loss. The deduction goes on line 28 of Schedule A and you have to note that the deduction is for gambling losses. For example, if you lost $5,000 on one occasion and $7,000 on another, your total deduction is $12,000.

Gambling Loss Limitation

You can't deduct more in gambling losses than you have in gambling winnings for the year. For example, suppose you reported $13,000 in gambling winnings on Line 21 of Form 1040. Even if you lost $100,000 that year, your gambling loss deduction is limited to $13,000. Worse, you aren't allowed to carry forward the excess, so if you had $87,000 in losses you couldn't deduct last year, you can't use that to offset the gambling income from the current year.

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Gambling In America

If you've ever won a jackpot in Las Vegas, you probably know that your excitement diminishes at least a little when the casino throws a W-2G tax form in your face. In fact, if you don’t provide your social security number, the casino will automatically withhold up to 30% of your winnings. The same goes for lottery and horse racing wins above $1200. Yet when playing online, paying taxes isn’t always so black and white.

Claiming Online Gambling Winnings On Taxes Returns

Americans who play at US-based online casinos will usually have to deal with withholding taxes just like in Las Vegas. Yet that only represents a small fraction of your entertainment options. When playing at licensed offshore online casinos or poker rooms, American players usually won’t hear the words taxes mentioned at all.

Sadly, it is never safe to assume that your winnings are ultimately tax-free. It is true that Americans who play at internet gambling sites outside of the USA won’t be subject to withholding taxes when withdrawing their winnings. Yet you may be required to report these gains when you file your taxes in April. The greatest determinant is the number, size, and frequency of your wins. The actual threshold varies from state to state and whether or not you are an amateur or professional. For more information on reportable gambling winnings visit the IRS guide: https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw2g/ar02.html

Professional Gamblers

Whether or not you qualify as a professional gambler doesn’t solely depend on your performance at the tables. The main litmus test is the expectation and probability of profit in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service. Your success and whether or not you have a regular job on top of gambling may also be factors.

With even amateur gamblers having to deal with taxes, professional gambling does have benefits. You can actually deduct your wins from your losses when your treat your gameplay as a business. No matter what your current status is and how often you play, it's best to keep tabs on your performance to develop strategies, stick to a budget, and simply know where you stand. You can find this tip sheet courtesy of the IRS: https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc419.html

Whether or not the IRS can actually track your winnings is another matter entirely. Yet you should be aware of your obligations. With a huge budget deficit and ballooning debt, the federal government is looking to fill their financial holes any way they can. Between the NSA and modern forensic accounting practices, covering your digital tracks is more difficult than it used to be.

Tax Obligations Outside Of The USA

The United States is a bit of an outlier when it comes to taxing gambling winnings. In the United Kingdom, the government taxes the gross profits of casino operators rather than players. Canadians can play the lottery, live casinos, poker and online games without paying taxes unless they are a professional. Likewise, Australians and New Zealanders can also gamble tax-free. To put things in perspective, Americans do pay some of the lowest personal income taxes in the first world. Things tend to even out in the end.

Like anything else, interpreting the rules is always a matter of debate. Here's an interesting tax perspective for Canadians: http://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/tax-expert-a-gamble-over-poker-winnings

Claiming Online Gambling Winnings On Taxes Money

Things To Consider

Keep in mind that Americans have to deal with both Federal and State taxes on most forms of income. Always keep basic records no matter how often you play or win. This will make things easier during tax season.

Accountants Have The Answers

No matter where you live, it's always best to discuss your personal situation with a licensed tax professional in your area. You can usually get a short consultation for free with complete confidentiality. It's the best way to play by the rules while minimizing your tax burden.